This Is The Most Sickening Political Stunt You'll Read About All Year

A conservative blogger was arrested Saturday after allegedly trespassing at the nursing home where Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran's wife lives, and posting a picture of the Republican's spouse online without permission.

Clayton Thomas Kelly runs a political blog called Constitutional Clayton, where he posted a story April 26 attacking Cochran and supporting state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who's challenging Cochran in the state's GOP Senate primary this year.

The piece included a picture taken bedside in Rose Cochran's room at the nursing home, where she has lived since 2000.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that in a press release, the Madison Police Department said that Kelly "had illegally and improperly obtained an image of a vulnerable adult resident without their consent for his own benefit." He was charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and his bond was set at $100,000.

In a statement, the Cochran's' attorney, Donald Clark, said his clients' "privacy and dignity have been violated," according to the Clarion-Ledger.

"We became aware of an unauthorized picture, posted on the Internet, of Mrs. Cochran, taken literally in her room by her bedside at St. Catherine's," Clark said. "Sen. Cochran retained my law firm on this matter, and we looked at various legal options. We notified the proper authorities, which in this case is the city of Madison Police Department."

McDaniel is running to Cochran's right in the June 3 primary. McDaniel's campaign denies having ties to Kelly.

Condemnation of the alleged act was swift and severe.

I first heard of the Mississippi blogger story regarding Thad Cochran's wife hours ago and it still makes me want to take a shower.

When my 87 y/o Father in law gets lost in his mind his behavior swings from lost and helpless to vile and abusive. But the worst,and saddest, is that when he's lucid he can only talk about wishing he was dead. While I was sitting with him Thursday morning he kept whispering to me that if I would hold a pillow to his face it could be over in just a minute, that nobody would know and if I really wanted to help him that's what I should do. In your experience is that common and how is it best dealt with?

@rkinsawjoe I've been asked this quite a few times as I've worked in nsg homes for many years. The best thing to do is have a talk with his nurse and see if the staff, including his doctor, is aware of his requests. He may also be asking others. Sounds like he needs a professional to talk too and maybe an anti-depressant if the doctor thinks it's appropriate.

@rkinsawjoe You might find this forum to be very useful. It's an online eldercare support group and folks there can sympathize, share information about resources and common experiences, and just be a shoulder to lean on when needed.http://eldercare.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x

@rkinsawjoe Treating dementia is a very tricky thing. I'd ask for a care plan conference with the nursing staff, the consulting pharmacist, the social worker, and the physician. Tell them what you've observed and describe your concerns. Family members often see changes in behavior that are too subtle for others. Your input is crucial to building the best care plan possible.

No, he definitely needs jail time but he needs his ass kicked daily while he's in jail!! He is a true low scum bag!! I can't think of a lower thing to do than what he did! This poor helpless woman, it makes me so sad.

Can I condemn the behavior without being "outraged and offended"? McDaniel says this man is not associated in any way with his campaign and that is enough. Let this jerk face the consequences of his behavior and be done with it.

@Frosty45 Very interesting story that didn't make it into the above story: apparently Cochrane has been living with another woman for the last fourteen years while his wife has Alzhiemers. Girlfriend even has a well paying government job. Cochrane doesn't want people to know his wife is still alive. I say both of these people are jerks.

@Realthinker Having now couples whose life has been split by dementia I'd never condemn the one left in the real world for finding solace where ever they can. It's a hell that know one can easily understand.

@Frosty45 My dad lingered with Alzhiemers for 18 years. My mom never considered going out on him, she visited him every day after she was forced to put him in skilled nursing care. Yes, it's hell. Nobody ever said keeping one's marriage vows would always be easy.

This is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard. The poor woman is sick enough and she has no dignity as it is now it must be posted on the Internet for all to see!! For all those involved may they rot in hell. I know what dementia is like, it is horrible enough for a person, my brother passed away from it a few years back, he was young, it wld be devastating for the family to have the world see him bc he was such a funny, lively person and you don't want the world to remember that. It's just awful ppl are so cruel. What goes around comes around!!!

MarkJM - As low as this is, it's still early. There will be even lower benchmarks before it's all over. And one often wonders when the politicians tied to the activity claim no knowledge or involvement.(Can you say 'Bridgegate'?) Most politicians would have nothing to do with this guy. However..... New lower standards are being achieved every election.(Can you say Ted Nugent?)

Grow up and participate in an intelligent conversation. There is no way you can side with Homosexuals, Lesbians, Illegals, releasing criminals by the thousands, race baiters, foreigners voting, NAMBLA pedophiles, Felons of all persuasions showing us their ability to make good decisions at the polls and the rest of what makes up your political power voting power and you can't do better than that gibberish.

@Curmudgeon the problem here is your sneaking Homosexuals and Lesbians into your list sexual orientation is not in the same category as criminal acts. This puts you into the same category as the monster whose acts triggered this discussion. (at least by your so called reasoning above)

I have decent conversations with war heroes and priests. If you expressed yourself in a decent manner we could have a decent conversation. I suggest you model your opinion of same sex couples on Pope Francis. If they behave decently he has no quarrel with them. Is he enough of a priest for you?

I thought when the Democrats in Florida dragged up something Jeb Bush's son did when the kid was 16 (run over an old girlfriend's lawn) was pretty lame and disgusting. Teenagers often play stupid pranks on others. And the kid was made to apologize and the ex-girlfriend's family reimbursed for the damages the kid caused. It's sickening because the kid was as young as he was, and this in no way made Jeb Bush look bad. It's especially sickening because the Democrats had Chappaquiddick (1969); the murder of Martha Moxley by a Kennedy family member (1975) ; the Kennedy Palm Beach Compound rape (1991) and the statutory rape of a 16 year old babysitter by Michael Kennedy (1997) aftermath they were dealing with. Clearly, very few people in politics are entitled to demonize the other side for reprehensible behavior. Some less so than others.

Not nice but if it was not a political character I bet there would be a lot lower bail. $100,000 is stupid. There are murderers that have lots lower bail. This guy took a picture, nothing more nothing less.

Seriously, if you were feuding with your neighbor and they were posting nasty things about you on Facebook or in a blog, then posted pictures of your wife or mom in a nursing home ... you would accept that as, no big deal!??

@JimCO55 Not $100,000 dollars worth of big deal.I mean it isn't like the old lady was naked or anything she was in a nursing home. Now as to the nasty things posted, I didn't see that mentioned at all in the article.

@URBS : Well I don't think he posted pictures of Cochran's bed ridden wife for sympathy?

Campaign sources say Kelly on Saturday, April 26th, posted an anti-Cochran, pro-Chris McDaniel "hit piece" video that included the image of Rose Cochran. The video and references to it were removed from the internet within a couple of hours.

Despicable is the only word for such a thing. Much as I'm a Democrat and would like to see us pick up that seat - which we could do if Cochran's primary opponent beats him - if this means Cochran retains the seat due to people being so outraged at the tactic, so be it. We didn't have that much of a chance anyway in this reddest of states. As a Republican Cochran's pretty conservative, just not a loud obnoxious one. Those who find his record to be insufficntly conservative are nuts anyway and this nut's actions are just icing on the cake.